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1. Do you accept credit or debit cards?

Yes. There is a convenience fee charged for debit & credit card transactions.
$0-$50 = $1.50
$50.01-$100 = $3.00
Each Additional $100.00 = $3.00

E-check - Flat Fee = $1.50

2. How do I know what maintenance district or Board of Supervisor district I am in?

View the map. Map of Districts

3. Who do I make my check payable to?

Linn County Treasurer but it needs to come to the Engineer’s Office at 1888 County Home Road, Marion, Iowa 52302.

4. How do I obtain a 911 address?

The cost of the 911 permit is $100.00. You will need an entrance permit on file before a 911 address can be issued. We can check to see if there is a permit on file.

If no entrance permit is on file, you will need to apply for one. The entrance permit costs $50. We will need to know the top surface width of the driveway where it crosses the right of way. Residential driveways can be 16’ – 24’ wide and Commercial driveways can be 16’ – 30’ wide. A technician will go to the property to verify that the driveway conforms to our standards. The permit will be returned to you with any information needed to make the driveway conform. You can apply for the 911 address at the same time and on the same permit. We will need to know the approximate location of the entrance off the county road and where the building will be located.

If there is an entrance permit on file, you can apply for the 911 address. We will need to know the approximate location of the entrance off the county road and where the building will be located. The 911 permit, address and information will be sent to you through the mail. Please allow a week.

5. What do I do if my blue and white 911 sign is damaged or stolen?

Contact our office at (319)892-6400. The E-911 Commission has budgeted money for the Secondary Road Department to replace or repair 911 signs that are worn out, damaged or stolen.

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1. Where can I find information about current road construction?

Find information about Linn County Secondary Road construction projects that are scheduled for the current year as well as the five-year construction plan on our Construction web page.

2. How can I receive regular project updates and other project details?

Residents can sign up for project updates through Notify Me on our website. Notify Me will allow you to receive updates by e-mail, text message or both. Updates can also be obtained by calling the Linn County Engineer’s Office at 319-892-6400.

3. What is the difference between Road Closed and Road Closed to Thru Traffic?

Roads may be closed during construction to keep everyone safe or to allow materials to cure before traffic is allowed back on. Drivers not following the road closure signs are putting themselves and the workers in danger. Drivers that do not follow the signing may be ticketed and invoiced for any damage caused.

Road Closed	Road Closed to Thru Traffic
Barricades & possibly fence blocking access	Barricades staggered to allow access
No traffic allowed in or out	Traffic allowed to location within the closure
Impassible conditions within closure	Traffic not allowed to drive through without a destination within the closed road

4. Will vehicle access be available at all times during the concrete paving project?

No, there will be times when access is not possible for local traffic. Local traffic will be allowed on the concrete pavement as soon as maturity is reached (typically within 48hrs.). All residents adjacent to the concrete paving are encouraged to plan travel accordingly during construction. The lack of access is an inconvenience but greatly reduces the amount of time for construction and results in a better product.

5. If access is not available at times throughout the project, how are emergency situations handled?

Emergency services will do all they can to respond to emergency situations. If the shoulder width is not sufficient for access, emergency vehicles will travel on the paved roadway, whether the concrete is mature or not. Concrete can be replaced.

6. How are various services such as mail delivery, garbage pick-up, and bus stops handled during the project?

All affected schools, mail routes, parks, etc. will receive notice of the construction. Affected property owners are required to coordinate individually with each specific service. Property owners adjacent to the paving are required to remove mailboxes during the project.

7. How will my driveway be adjusted to match the proposed concrete overlay?

All (concrete, asphalt, sealcoat, rock, etc.) drives adjacent to the paving will receive a granular taper to allow for the difference in road elevation (approximately 8”) after paving. Additional rock is available for $15/ton (10 ton minimum) if the property owner would like more rock. Property owners can pay to have their paved drives adjusted at a cost of $6/square foot. The cost to adjust a typical driveway is approximately $2,200. The rock placement and paved drive replacement is limited to within the County right-of-way. Please contact the Engineer’s Office if you are interested in having your paved drive replaced.

8. Recently I have seen County crews extending entrance culverts and flattening slopes on driveways and field entrances. How does the County choose which drives to do?

During projects, Linn County gives the adjacent property owners the opportunity to participate in safety improvements. This involves flattening entrance side slopes (6:1 – 6 feet horizontal to every 1 foot vertical) and eliminating headwalls. The flattened side slopes allow errant vehicles to pass over the entrance. The flattened slopes are easier to mow and maintain and allow farm equipment to turn into drives with less risk of sliding into the ditch. The property owner is asked to participate by purchasing the pipe needed to extend to the 6:1 slope. The county will provide the earth to finish the driveway and do rough shaping of the slopes. Please contact the Engineer’s office if you are adjacent to a project and did not receive a letter regarding these safety improvements.

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1. What type of dust control is available?

Dust Control Options

Private Contractor Applied - Permit applied for through private contractor.

• Calcium Chloride
• Magnesium Chloride
• Lignin Sulfonate 
• Soy Oil
• Seal Coat

County Applied – Permit applied for through County. 

• Seal Coat

Self-Applied - Permit applied for through County.

• Calcium Chloride
• Magnesium Chloride
• Lignin Sulfonate 
• Soy Oil

2. When is the sign-up period for dust control?

Sign up Periods and Deadlines 

Applicators may have an earlier deadline. Please contact them directly.

First Sign-Up Period: April 1 - May 10

• County applied seal coat
• Application by private contractor or self

Second Sign-Up Period: June 1 - July 10

• Application by private contractor or self

3. If the seal coat on my road is still good, can I keep it?

Yes. If you would like someone from the Secondary Road Department to check it, you need a $50.00 non-refundable retain permit. The district foreman will review the seal coat. If the seal coat is in good shape, the permit will allow you to obtain patch material at a County shop through October 31st. If the seal coat is not in good shape, we will contact you so you can sign up for something new.

Permit to Retain

4. Is the retain permit refundable if my seal coat can not be retained?

No. The permit fee pays for the department to send someone to go to the property and check the condition of the seal coat section. The permit also allows you to pick up patch mix from a county shop to fill potholes within your dust control section.

5. I rent a house on a county road and would like to put dust control down. Can I put dust control down even if I don't own the property?

Yes. You can pay to put dust control on any county road.

6. I want to put dust control in front of my property but it will also be in front of a neighbor's house. Can I do that?

Yes. It is a County road and you can pay to put dust control on any County road you want. What you will want to do is to make sure they don’t pay for dust control for the same portion of the road, as well. If they also want dust control, you can get together and share the cost or lengthen the distance of dust control.

7. Will my dust control still be effective after they blade the road?

Yes. They can blade lightly through chloride and lignin without damaging its effectiveness. We only blade through the dust control if there are holes that need to be filled. Any dust control areas on the road need to be marked so workers know the dust control agent is there when they come through with the blade.

8. Does the County fill gaps between dust control areas?

No, we don't fill the gaps. If you have neighbors that are also getting dust control, you might want to talk to them about distances to ensure there are no gaps.

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1. How do I know what maintenance district I am in?

View our map of the districts. The general areas but not exact are: District #1: SW 1/4. West of I380. District #2: SE 1/4. East of I380 & South of Highway 151 District #3: NE 1/4. East of Highway 13 & North of Highway 151 District #4: NW 1/4. West of Highway 13 & North of County Home Road

Map of Districts

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1. Do I need a permit to widen my driveway?

Yes. The permit costs $50.00 To apply, come to the Engineer’s Office at 1888 County Home Road in Marion. We will need to know the top surface width you want where the driveway crosses the right of way. Residential driveways can be 16’ – 24’ wide and Commercial driveways can be 16’ – 30’ wide. After you apply for the permit, a technician will go to the property to check sight distance, drainage and ditch depth. The technician will note on the permit the width and length of culvert needed or that a dry fill is allowable. The County does not supply the materials or install the culvert. The property owner is responsible for extending the culvert if needed.

2. Can I put in a second driveway?

You can have a second driveway if your property is larger than 1 acre, there are no potential safety or drainage problems, there is a physical reason that the first drive can not be used for the purpose of the 2nd drive and if you are not in a subdivision with single access restriction. You will need to obtain an entrance permit from the Engineer’s Office at 1888 County Home Road in Marion. The entrance permit costs $50 and is non-refundable. We will need to know the top surface width of the driveway where it crosses the right of way. Residential driveways can be 16’ – 24’ wide and Commercial driveways can be 16’ – 30’ wide. A technician will go to the property and check sight distance, drainage and ditch depth. They will note on the permit the width and length of culvert needed or that a dry fill is acceptable. The County does not supply the materials or install the culvert. The property owner is responsible for installing the culvert.

3. I am building a new house. There is a driveway already there but it is for a field. I want to use the same driveway. Is that possible?

You will need to obtain an entrance permit because you are changing from a field drive to a house drive. The permit costs $50 and can be obtained at the Engineer’s Office at 1888 County Home Road in Marion. We will need to know the top surface width you want where the driveway crosses the right of way. Residential driveways can be 16’ – 24’ wide and Commercial driveways can be 16’ – 30’ wide. A technician will go to the property and check sight distance, drainage and ditch depth. They will note on the permit the width and length of culvert needed or that a dry fill is allowable. The County does not supply the materials or install the culvert. The property owner is responsible for installing the culvert.